Understanding Autism
Parents and educators face many difficulties when teaching children with autism. It is even more challenging since many incidences in Autism varies from one individual to another. There are some key points that parents and educators must note when working with children to provide them with the best possible education. We have tried to collect such information in this section
Autism? - Introduction
A life long developmental disorder primarily affecting
1. Communication skills
2. Social skills
3. Thought and Behaviour
4. Processing and integrating sensory information
What Autism is not?
It is not a mental illness
It is not a mental retardation
It is not caused due to bad parenting
Causes for autism
Autism is a neurological disorder, present from birth, which affects the way the brain uses information. The cause is still unknown.
Research suggests: -
- A physical problem affecting those parts of the brain that process language and information coming in from the senses.
- There may be some imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain.
- Genetic factors may sometimes be involved.
Can people with autism be helped?
Yes, Autism is treatable. Studies show that all people who have autism can improve significantly with proper instruction. Many individuals with autism eventually become more responsive to others as they learn to understand the world around them.
- Good rote memory (in speaking kids)
- Good visual spatial memory
- Good at puzzles
- Fascination with numbers,
- Perseverance in getting needs met
- Ability to remember information for a long time
- Preference for order in everything they do
- Very methodical and systematic
- Some have ability to read long routines- hyperlexia
- Ability to take chunks of information ? the whole thing
- Are very good at Balancing and agile
- Difficulty in relating to others
- Resistance to change
- Stereotyped motor behaviour
- Echolalia and literalness of language
- Attachments to objects rather than humans
- Obsessive and or compulsive behaviour
- Sleep and eating problems
- Poor pretend play and lack of imagination
- Inability to express emotions
- Poor organization and planning
- Isolated in world of their own
- Unable to form emotional bonds with others
- Incapable of understanding other people's thoughts, feelings and needs.
- Engage in Repetitive actives like rocking or banging their heads.
- Some are painfully sensitive to sound, touch, sight or smell.
- Interested only in the part of a toy rather than the whole toy.
Needs of the child with Autism
- A good communication system that is universally understood
- A sound behaviour management plan
- Structured daily life routines (the child should know the limits and the expectations)
- Trained personnel who knows the functioning of the child
- Consistancy in the manner care givers talk to the child
- Daily routine with some choice making option
- Sensory Integration Therapy
Nature of the Deficit
Autism is named a syndrome due to its varying disorders that usually accompany it. In autistic children the skill development is uneven.
Autism is a spectrum disorder
- Word retrieval difficulty
- Speech perseverance (over repeating)
- Echolalia and literalness of language
- Not responding when called by their name
- Some children with autism may never learn to talk
- Hardly greeting others saying hello or thank you
- Use of You when they mean I
- Talking to oneself
- Abnormalities in pitch, rhythm and intonation.
- Pragmatics of language , that is use of language in a social context is impaired.
- A voice intonation to ask questions, to make a statement to convey emotions is absent.
- The tone of voice is different. High pitched, sing ? song or flat, robot ? like voice is common.
- People with autism also tend to confuse pronouns. They fail to grasp those words like my, I and you e.g. they ay say You want crayon when he actually means , I want crayon.
- When asked, What is my name?? He may answer, His own name.
- It is difficult to understand the body language of a person with autism.
- Facial expressions, movements and gestures rarely match what they are saying.
- Lack of eye contact, sometimes they have fleeting eye contact
- Rarely seek others for comfort or affection
- Rarely respond to others people?s miseries or happiness
- Hardly initiate play with other children
- Have difficulty in understanding rules and regulations
- Lack pretend play
- Lack joint attention
Other deficits
Deficits in Thought and Behaviour
- Attachments to objects rather than humans
- Interested only in the part of a toy or object rather than the whole toy
- Have difficulties in understanding other people's thought feelings and needs
- Unable to understand jokes
- They cannot read others mind
- They cannot understand deception empathy
- Have an inability to understand intended meanings
- Cannot anticipate what one might think
Executive Function Deficit
- Unable to organize, plan or problem solve
- Lack self-monitoring and correction
- Lack flexibility of thought and action
- Cannot gauge mental representation
Weak Central Coherence
- Persons with ASD have difficulty attending to over all meaning
- They notice details and may get distracted
Cancer Awarness
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